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sometimes i feel like i could be perfectly happy not ever eating another washington apple nor california grape again, as long as i had an abundance of tropical fruit available. sometimes, especially when i see the variety available in the markets and shops in the philippines. i am a little sad to see that more tropical fruit is being imported in from malaysia and thailand at a cheaper price than the local crops, and while i appreciate the availability, i hope local farmers do not suffer because of the competition.

i haven't really taken the time to figure out what fruits are in season each month, and i most certainly haven't tried all the different kinds. however, i do try to taste a fruit unfamiliar to me every time i go.

this time around i tried an atemoya, a hybrid between a sweetsop, otherwise known as atis (annona squamosa), and cherimoya (annona cherimola). both are members of the same family of fruit, annonas, and all the fruit are similar in colouring--a pale green, lightly textured thin skin covers milky white flesh flecked with large black seeds. the flavour is milky, sweet, and very delicately tart.

the only difference that i can discern between this and atis is that the bulby protuberances are a bit spikier, and the fruit seem capable of growing larger. the flesh a little denser, and somewhat "fruitier" in taste, with a bit of a latex-like aftertaste. almost as if it was a cross between atis and a piece of juicyfruit gum. not really a good selling point, but maybe intriguing enough for you to try one.

hello garance! i wonder if it would grow there--you'll have to try it and let me know :)

djagoe, i have tried durian, and the taste was okay but not something i need to try again--it's the odour i can't stand!

ellie--i know i'm lucky in the mangosteen front, they're just so good. i'm glad they're available to me for a good part of the year.

leigh, oh my goodness, AU$4 for a banana?? poor you and your fellow australians! i wonder if your bananas are similar to these or more like the western variety. the flavour of these is a little different (they're a little tart), which i prefer.

hi acornbud! my mom loves cherimoyas, atis, atemoyas, all those darned annonas. i am not completely fond of any of them myself, i like fruit that's more sweet and sour than just sweet.

hi cathy! those red things are called rambutan, they are similar to lychee in texture and flavour. i should do a post on those! the texture of the atemoya is not so much dry as firm. i can't think of a western equivalent in terms of other fruit....it's firm fleshed, but has a tendency to "flake" like fish...hm, i'm doing a bad job of this. although, yes, it's like cod. it's the whitefish of fruits :P

Hey Santos - it's called 'custard apple'in Australia too! It's one of my favourite fruits. PS - i found a Filipino grocery store down the road from my work and tried some bibingka! I'm going to try their other sweets too.

We call it atemoya in Hawaii too! My parents who are from the Phillipines call it ati. I love it! This is the sweetest fruit I've ever tasted. I bought some a the local farmers market for $1 each. It is grown locally here. My husband tried it for the 1st time and couldn't believe how sweet it is. What a neat creation!!

What farmers market did you buy them at? I really am missing sitaphal (what we call custard apple / sweetsop in India). If I can, I really would want to try it here - even if it is a different version of the fruit I am used to.

DISCLAIMER: this is a personal journal with no desires to be anything but. it contains my opinion with occasional fact thrown in; recipes have been tested where noted, in an unairconditioned kitchen in the tropics. YMMV. for my sake and yours, consult a professional!